Into The Fray!
by Maneki Neko Tama
Summary: My first real story for this site, 'Into The Fray' follows two old friends as they reunite for new adventures and glory. Chapter two is up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All respective rights to the ownership of Monster Hunter to Capcom!

**A/N:** So here is my attempt to write the beginning to an actual story, hooray for me! I found it rather difficult to get started, but once I got the ball rolling time really flew by. Hope you guys enjoy it!

On a side note, since there are things in Monster Hunter that don't quite make sense (like no fall damage and the Super Man Dive), I'll be trying to work some realism and logic into things to help bridge any gaps I may come across. And since this is supposed to be a real story, it will be a little more serious then my collection of short stories. But enough of me rambling! Reviews are loved, constructive criticism even more so!

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"Raizou? Raizou! Get ready!"

The young hunter flinched at the scolding, his attention pulled away, thankfully, from thoughts of his own mortality. He had just begun to shave a few years ago, and now here he was, dressed in his leather hunter garb, preparing to perform what he deemed as a fool's errand. The stone bridge he stood on quaked rhythmically, as did the canyon the bridge spanned. The vibrations tingled his spine, and more so his courage. The young man's hazel eyes dared to drift downwards, past the edge of the bridge. Beneath, an armored hide of immense proportions moved, like a living mountain, almost.

Raizou frowned. No. It _was_ a living mountain. 'Lao-Shan Lung' did mean 'Old Mountain Dragon' in another tongue, or so he was told. Hands almost trembling as he tightened the strap holding his iron helmet to his head, the hunter forced a smile, trying his best to hide his faltering willpower as he finally spoke. "So, all we have to do is jump down on its back with these bombs, right? Then get out of the way before the blast, while making sure not to be stepped on?"

"It'll be easier then playing pin the tail on the Blango! Or a Conga, in your case."

The cheerful reply came from Raizou's partner in this daring raid; Larkin, a determined hunter from the mountain village of Pokke. Larkin also wore low ranking armor, probably a set that had been bought premade like Raizou's attire. Other then that, the only things that these two shared was their age and gender. While Larkin had an unruly mop of blonde hair, clear grey eyes, and a fair complexion, Raizou on the other hand had a tan hue to his skin, matching his light brown eyes and short black hair. Born in the forest village of Kokoto, this had been the first time Raizou had ventured out past the woods and jungles surrounding his home.

It had been an urgent order from the Hunter's Guild that had summoned him here. 'All able hunters were to report immediately,' the notice had read. At first Raizou had been thrilled. He enjoyed hunting in groups, even more so if they were hunting something he had never seen before. However, fighting his first Lao-Shan was an experience he wasn't quite ready for yet.

A hand clapped down on Raizou's shoulder, gripping him tightly. It was Larkin's, of course, though the Pokke hunter's smile wasn't as confident as before. So even he was a little edgy, it seemed. "We'll get through this, Raizou. And if something happens, remember these words of wisdom told to me by an official Guild Knight... _'Girls love scars.'_"

At that, Raizou managed to smirk before playfully pushing the other youth back. All his worries seemed to vanish as mirth and camaraderie replaced his fears. Well, almost all of them, anyways. "Like I'll get hurt! Just try not to trip going off the ledge; you'll make me look bad!"

"Haha, so I'll see you at the celebration party, then?"

"Definitely!"

The assurance that they both felt brought honest smiles to their faces. Even if they were about to jump onto Lao-Shan Lung's back, each hunter knew that he wouldn't be doing it alone, and that he'd have someone watching out for him.

"If we don't make it alive?" Holding up his fist about chest-high, Raizou grinned.

"It's a hell of a good day to die." Without a moment's hesitation, Larkin also raised his fist, bumping his knuckles firmly against Raizou's. Although they had just met, they had decided that they might as well look cool for the task they had volunteered for by making up a catch phrase.

Each hunter then gave a quick hand gesture to a pair of Guild workers standing by, signaling them to start the preparations. Both Raizou and Larkin were then given an Anti-Dragon Bomb via a rope harness that allowed the hunters to carry the bombs like one would carry a rucksack. The bombs themselves were the size of 15 gallon kegs, and packed with enough explosive material to blast a hole in a mountain. Which was just what was needed at the moment. Once Raizou and Larkin were on Lao-Shan Lung's back, they had to cut themselves free and light the fuses. Then once that was done, they had just precious seconds to get to safety before the bombs went off.

Standing on the edge of the stone bridge with the bombs strapped to them, the two hunters said nothing before jumping off the ledge to face their destiny. With the added weight of the bomb, Raizou fell a bit faster then expected. Landing hard on all fours, the youth clenched his teeth as his knees and forehead banged into the hard plating covering Lao-Shan Lung's back. Growling to fight the flaring pain, he rubbed his affected areas and thanked whoever had made his armor. Larkin had some trouble as well, but thankfully he had enough sense left in him from the landing to ensure he wouldn't roll off. Already Larkin was pulling a knife from his boot, trying to cut himself free even in his dazed state.

Sitting on his rear, Raizou followed his comrade; pulling his carving knife free from its leather sheath. A shadow passed over the two as they worked. They were directly under the bridge, now. If Lao-Shan decided to stand up, they'd be in big trouble. The thought of being forever a red stain on the dragon's already crimson hide only made them work faster. Flints in hand, the pair set off their own respective fuses before scampering towards the aft end of the massive beast. But doing so first required them to climb over a tall ridge. They were almost over the top when the bombs exploded, the blast echoing through the canyon walls as Lao-Shan roared and shook.

"Aw, crap!" Hunting knife still in hand, Raizou stabbed at the scarlet carapace he was slipping down on. Having lost his grip in the commotion, there was nothing he could do to fight gravity's hold on him as he began to slide down Lao-Shan's side.

"Raizou!" cried Larkin as he dove down after his companion, a part of him wondering if he lost his mind, the other part wondering what would he _do _upon reaching his friend. Grabbing Raizou's hand, Larkin floundered for a few seconds trying to find a grip with his other hand as they fell. His flailing hand fond something solid to grab, and with a groan, the hunter forced his fingers to wrap tightly around whatever it was. Grey eyes peeking up at their savior, the young hunter smirked. It was the remnants of a ballista shot, buried in Lao-Shan's vulnerable side. Most of the shank had broken off previously, and judging from the color of the wood, it had long been sitting as a thorn in the dragon's side.

"Just.. Keeping you on your toes!" Out of breath from the fright, Raizou dangled precariously at least thirty feet over the ground. It seemed like things were taking a change for the better. At least until Lao-Shan Lung saw it fit to walk right up next to a wooden tower that gunners used to shoot on. Be stepped on, or scrapped off? It was a tough call indeed… Pointing out their next predicament, Raizou shouted up at Larkin. "We got another problem!"

Straining just to hold both of them up, Larkin frowned at the tower Lao-Shan was using to scratch his side. "Hold on! Uh, we can um.. Geez this is gonna hurt!" 'Hold on' was just all about Raizou could do. And as the tower came nearer, both hunters braced themselves for the impact..!

_

* * *

__THWAP! _

"OW! Ugh, by the gods..! Fay if that was yo-mmf!" Rudely awakened from his dream, the man fussed about as a Felyne ran around the wagon's wooden floor and on the groggy man in a hurry. Sitting up in a flash, he snatched the excited critter as it made another pass by him. "Fay! Calm down already, I'm-"

"MEOW! We're here, nyaa~!" Fay squirmed in her partner's grasp, fumbling to secure her acorn style armor. "Nyaa, where's my helmet?!"

"We're here? Already?" Setting his comrade down, the man handed Fay her helmet, the object that had hit him in the head and woken him up in the first place. He hadn't noticed it at first, but it was definitely a lot colder then when he had gone to sleep. The canvas roof and walls of the wagon allowed some light to penetrate inwards, but all that let him know was that it was at least late morning. The wagon was still moving, too, so the convoy hadn't gotten attacked either. Trying not to step on Fay, he quickly changed from his civilian clothing to his hunter attire; an armor set made from Khezu hide and light armor plating.

All in all, the soft, alluring white hide made him look like a religious practitioner, the way it had been fashioned. There was a hood on his coat, but he usually kept it down, as did he right now. Instead, he left his face mask up, silently enjoying the way the Khezu hide felt up against the lower half of his face, and around his head, leaving only the bridge of his nose, his hazel eyes, and the front half of his midnight colored hair visible.

"Raizou! Why did you want to come all the way to Pokke village anyways, nyaa?" Pulling back one of the heavy flaps serving as doors at the front of their wagon, Fay peeked outside past the wagon theirs was attached to.

"Forgive me for dragging us here, but I was feeling a bit… Nostalgic.." A light smile graced Raizou's lips as his words ended. Brushing back the other canvas flap to the side, he chuckled softly, watching as the convoy made its way up a snowy path leading deeper into the mountains. At the end of the road sat a charming cluster of buildings, their roofs covered in a white blanket of snow.

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**A/N:** Hm.. Had some problems uploading this before, but hopefully this time around it'll turn out fine?

Well that's it for chapter one, folks! Hoping to get some good feedback from any reviews! ^___^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All respective rights to the ownership of Monster Hunter to Capcom!

**A/N:** This was a little rushed unfortunately, due to my computer beginning to die on me. The next chapter will be longer for sure! Just wanted to get something up before my computer kills over.

Here we find what out what happened to Raizou and Larkin on the day they bombed the Lao Shan Lung, and we take a peek into Larkin's past and present.

* * *

"Sorry, there was nothing I could do. You win some, you lose some. That's the life of a hunter." With a resigned sigh, the man offered a half-hearted shrug to the young woman standing behind the counter.

"I see. I'll have to record your failure then, and repost the quest. Perhaps you'd like to visit the infirmary for a check up?" The hostess tilted her head to the side in a curious manner, carefully observing the hunter before her. Running a delicate hand through her long hair, the blonde peered into the eye-holes fashioned into the hunter's mask. A pair of grey eyes met her own as the female's lips slowly curved into a frown. "Is everything alright, Larkin?"

"Caiira, I'm fine, really. I just... bit off more then I could chew this time, that's all." The fake smile Larkin put up appeared almost beastly with his mask on, but his hands were quick to remove his headgear. His armor was fashioned from indigenous creatures, mainly Giaprey, Blangos, and Blangongas. And the large teeth of the last monster adorned the bottom of his crimson mask, presenting a hostile expression on his face whether he liked it or not. The fine snow white hairs attached to his mask revealed shoulder-length tresses of pale yellow as they were pulled away, revealing Larkin's true attributes. "No need to fret, I turned tail and ran before things got too troublesome for me, so I've only minor scrapes and bruises to tend to. Next time I'll be ready to dethrone the Snow Lion and his little buddies!"

"Larkin... I don't care if you can't beat your target. I just want you to come home in one piece, you know that." Caiira held her frown as she gathered several papers before her, preparing them for the proper procedures now that Larkin had returned from his quest. "Ever since-"

"Don't say it. Please." Already pivoting on his heels, Larkin's somber expression disappeared under his mask as he put it back on. Footsteps carrying him towards the exit, he felt his heart weigh him down even more then his great sword. Before moving out of earshot, he paused to say one last thing prior to leaving. "Dad knew what he got himself into when he became a hunter, as do I."

* * *

Out of the Guild Hall now, Larkin made his way home, to a meager one-story log cabin near the center of the village. There was a bald man dressed in a brown robe waiting for him outside, and after exchanging glances, Larkin invited the man inside. The interior of his house was modest, with the exception of various trophies hanging on the walls from past hunts. Sitting down on a rug made from Anteka hides, he gestured for his guest to do the same as he slung his great sword from his shoulder.

"Kluft, you got your Blangonga, I presume." Larkin's tone was flat, holding little enthusiasm for what they were to talk about. Instead, he tried to distract himself by performing maintenance on his weapon; starting by wiping down the scaled surface of his great sword with a soft cloth. In earnest, his 'sword' looked more like a scale covered paddle when the cutting edge was hidden.

"Along with several Blangos, might I add. And you got your Zeni? Of course, the Hunter's Guild has nothing to show for our gains, yes?" asked Kluft, leaning forward slightly. His wide smile and sharp gaze almost radiated a look that said 'trust me.' Woe to the naïve who did so without watching their backs.

"I don't tell you how to do your job, do I, Kluft?" To help put an emphasis on his rebuttal; Larkin held his finger down over the trigger set into his sword's handle. Immediately a long row of golden fangs stood up on one side of his weapon, reaching out from their protective covering. The teeth not caked in dried blood shone beautifully in the sun's light, and the hunter took to cleaning those that were dirty with little change in his expression. "But yes, I did receive payment."

"Humph, all's well, then. Loose ends are always a problem in the poaching business, I'm sure you understand. Since everything is in order, I'll take my leave." A heavy grunt left his chest as Kluft rose to his feet. As he opened the door to leave, he took one last glance at the hunter behind him, an eyebrow raised. "I hear a foreign caravan has come to Pokke this morning in hopes of trading. Your father used to bring back souvenirs for your mother after long hunts. You should go find something for your sister to help distract her worries."

Larkin said nothing to the suggestion, and focused only on cleaning his weapon. After Kluft left though, he could only let out a deep sigh as his fingers wrapped even tighter around the hilt of his great sword.

* * *

The convoy that Kluft had mentioned must have come from a forested village. There were many items for sale that were not normally seen up in the Snowy Mountains, like Hypnocatrice tail feathers, spicy mushrooms, and more. He had his eyes set on a soft, slender coat made from Nargacuga fur for Caiira, but something else caught his eye. It was a book, documenting the attack of a Lao Shan Lung in a canyon several years ago. Carefully picking it up, Larkin felt a tingle play up his spine. Memories flooded out his current thoughts as he searched through its pages, holding his breath in anticipation. Reading a passage after a minute of searching, the man chuckled softly.

"…_and just as they were about to hit the tower, Lao Shan Lung cried in fury and confusion as its front left leg buckled, the victim of vicious and repeated attacks from several dedicated hunters on the ground. The earth shook as the elder dragon stumbled and fell on its opposite side; sparing the young Raizou and Larkin an untimely death. This allowed them to slide down Lao Shan Lung's stomach before a short fall to the ground. For them to have successfully planted the anti-dragon bombs, and to have escaped with their lives, the Hunter's Guild has…"_

The next few lines explained a little about the praise they had received, but in the end, words were only words. The Zeni he had received he kept as an emergency supply back home, but other then that he had nothing to show for that day's heroics. Setting the book down, Larkin suddenly felt naked without his hunter gear. Dismissing the thought with a grin he shook his head and returned to the vendor selling the Nargacuga coat he planned on buying for Caiira. As he was holding it up for inspection, someone called to him from behind.

"I hope you're not buying that for yourself, Larkin. If you are, I ought to turn around and go home right now."

Larkin was about to retort, but fell short for words as he recognized the voice. A grin spread itself across his lips as he finally replied back. "Only someone with the brain of a Conga would think that. Raizou, it's been a while."

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**A/N:** There's chapter two! Not very long I know, but hopefully things have remained interesting. Not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll start working on it soon. Don't forget to give this chapter a review, please! =)


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